red and green (don't break the law)
by michellejjones
Summary: "He thinks that they're still good for each other, that the girl with red on her ledger and the man with green dancing in his eyes are almost too compatible. Almost, but not quite." In which Steve Rogers analyses Banner and Romanoff and decides that they're good together. [Oneshot. Heavy Brutasha. In other words, I really ship Bruce and Natasha.]


**So, I just saw A:AOU, and I have a lot of Brutasha feels. Help.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own _The Avengers,_ neither the comics nor the movies. If I did, I wouldn't be bawling over my newest ship. Or writing fanfiction. **

**Title:** **red and green (don't break the law)**

 **Summary:** **"He thinks that they're still good for each other, that the girl with red on her ledger and the man with green dancing in his eyes are almost _too_ compatible. Almost, but not quite." In which Steve Rogers analyses Banner and Romanoff and decides that they're good together. [Oneshot. Heavy Brutasha.]**

 **Songs Used:** **I used a playlist on 8tracks called _getting to late,_ by Ironandwine, as well as _Almost_ by hxrmonal. Check it out for mega feels.**

 **WARNING:** **This fic is set before and after AOU. It's in third person, but based on the Cap's point of view. It's a bit sorrowful, as there's no reuniting of Natasha and Bruce. But still. It's something.**

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 **red and green (don't break the law).**

 **by clarabella wanderling.**

* * *

 _"You got lousy taste in men, kid."_

* * *

The first time he notices, it's from afar and he's a little bit surprised, but mostly pleased. They are sitting next to each other, elbows touching and legs intertwined in the fashion that's common in the twenty-first century. He wonders what he'd say to that open intimacy if he were a ninety year old man, but the Captain's a sucker for love, always has been, and so he watches them from behind, smiling at their subtle touches and open flirtation.

She doesn't act that way around just anyone.

And the Captain knows he probably shouldn't allow it, because it's _Dr. Banner and Natasha Romanoff,_ for God's sake, but he rides with it anyway because what can he say?

They're good together.

 **...**

The second time it occurs, Steve pretends he hasn't just seen Natasha playfully touch Banner's lips with her finger, or see Banner carefully, cautiously, dance his hands towards her hair, gently tucking a curl back and whispering something inaudible to the Russian doll.

"They're something, huh?" A voice asks, and when he turns, Maria Hill is standing beside him.

"They're something." The soldier agrees. Maria hands him some files, telling him it contains everything he wanted on a HYDRA base in South America, and walks off to find her next task.

When he turns his attention back to the flirtationship, he finds that Banner is gone, and Natasha looks just a little more hardened than usual.

His fists tighten around the files, but then they loosen, gently. "Romanoff," he says. She turns, her face melting into the tight-but-loose expression he's accustomed to seeing. "Help me sort through these files, will you?" He asks, his voice ever-commanding. She grins.

"Of course, Cap'n."

He thinks back to her stance around Banner and decides that love's weird.

 **...**

Overhearing the conversation at the bar makes everything official for him; they're good, he likes it, and he's tired of watching them dancing around each other. He knows, knows that Bruce is scared _shitless_ and Natasha's not much better -just better at hiding it. Steve sees, and listens, and contemplates on the meaning of life and why they didn't invent a better word to describe what falling felt like.

Sometimes _love_ just didn't cut it.

Steve watches the dim light in Bruce's eyes brighten -just a hair, but it's enough- as he slides onto a stool opposite of Natasha, and smiles a closed-mouth smile, a thing that tugs at the corner of his mouth. The Captain doesn't mean to overhear, but he's close and Thor's secretly listening too, so why not?

"How does a nice girl like you end up in a place like this?" He hears Bruce ask, and next to him, Thor chuckles as if to say _the doctor's funny._

Rogers guesses that he is, kind of.

The Black Widow's answer comes out in an old-fashioned, tired-sounding drawl, "A fella done me wrong," she says, and just for a moment -only a moment- his mind flashes to the image of a sea, and the dance that never was. But as quick as it came, he shoves the image away.

Not tonight, he tells himself. And he doesn't.

Thor chuckles and Steve realizes he's missed something. "What'd Banner say?"

With a shake of his head, the demigod answers, "He called Natasha a child and said she had lousy taste in men. The doctor is so funny."

It takes Steve a moment to understand and he looks at Bruce again, at the anger and sorrow hidden behind his lenses. He wonders if he should grab his shield, but Nat's next words wash away the worry.

"He's not so bad. He's got a temper, but deep down he's all fluff." Her words roll off her tongue like they are snow and Steve watches in amazement as Bruce's face cracks a smile, albeit, a dry one. But it's enough. "Fact is, he's not like anyone I've ever known." There's a pause, and the Captain realizes she's contemplating whether or not to say what's on her mind. Another beat, and, maybe it's the vodka, but Romanoff says, "All my friends are fighters, but this guy spends his time avoiding the fight 'cause he knows he'll win."

It's enough to make Thor crack a smile and Steve look away. It's intimate, that moment, even if there's no kissing involved. He waits a minute and looks back to find Bruce mouthing the words, "Run with it, right?"

After that the doctor stumbles on his words and Natasha lean close to him, whispering something that makes Banner's ears red. In a split second decision, Steve heads towards the two. Natasha sees him coming, gives him a smile, and wanders away.

There's a casual pause, then, "It's nice."

"What is?" Bruce asks, pretending not to understand. But the man's a genius, of course he understands.

"You and Romanoff," The Captain clarifies, anyway.

"Oh!" And then, "We didn't... we haven't-"

"No one's breaking the law." Steve says, and Banner's shoulders visibly relax. "She's not usually the most open person, but she's very relaxed with you. With, ah, _both_ of you." The Captain doesn't actually know what he's doing, he realizes, but he hopes it's good.

Bruce shakes his head, brown and gray mixed in a heap of curls, "Nah. Natasha just likes to flirt."

He calls her Natasha, the Captain realizes, because Bruce doesn't think he's worthy enough to call her Nat, or Tasha. So he sticks to the formal names, and that almost makes Steve shake his head. Instead, he chuckles. "I've seen her flirt," he says, getting up. "This ain't that." With a pause, the blond man adds, "Look, speaking as a guy who may be the world's greatest authority on waiting too long... don't. Okay? Don't you both deserve a win?"

Steve left, and he could feel Dr. Banner's eyes. Knew he'd consider it.

 **...**

A couple weeks later, Steve thinks that maybe Banner considered it too much.

He thinks that they're still good for each other, that the girl with red on her ledger and the man with green dancing in his eyes are almost _too_ compatible.

Almost, but not quite.

There's an evening when he's sitting up on the roof, feet crossed, pen and paper out, that he draws them. Eyes locked, hands dancing, red and green whispering.

Yeah, red and green go good together, he decides.

And, it's not like anyone's breaking the law.

* * *

 _"All my friends are fighters,  
but this guy spends his life avoiding the fight  
'cause he knows he'll win."_

* * *

 **Wow. This was, ah, short. I don't know where I was going with this, but I went... somewhere. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Reviews would be fantastic.**

 **Blessings,  
Joss.**


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